The Mechanical Handling and Storing of Material

176 THE MECHANICAL HANDLING OF MATERIAL in pitch with the moulds, and the spilling of iron is thereby avoided, even if the moulds do not overlap each other, as is usual in some casting machines. The liquid metal in the moulds is cooled by sprays of water from a pipe which is shown in Fig. 234. The delivery point is shown in Fig. 236. A short length of tooth-rack b engages with the wheel keyed to one of the trunnions of each mould for the purpose of reversing it. At the moment of tilting, each mould receives a series of taps at the back from three hammers shown in the illustration. Immediately behind the tipping device there is an appliance on the principle of an injector. This coats the interior of the moulds with lime water similar to the process employed in the “ Uehling ” machine. The railway wagons in which the pigs are loaded are brought to the point of delivery through a cutting in the ground, as seen in Fig. 234. The “Hawdon" Slag Casting Machine.—This is the design of Mr William Hawdon, who has for some years been connected with Sir B. Samuelson & Co.’s Newport Iron Works, Middlesbrough. Fig. 237 gives a longitudinal view of the machine, aa are two endless chains made of long steel links fastened together by pins or rivets, b Figs. 232 and 233. Filling Device of the “ Ramsay” Casting Machine. is the driving shaft, c are the two pulleys over which the endless chains pass. These pulleys are driven from shaft b by geared wheels. The moulds which carry the slag are shown in plan and cross section in Figs. 238 and 239 as fixed to the chains. It will be seen that they are bolted on to a chain a by means of lugs on the under side. The endless chains move in the direction of the arrow a. The slag is conveyed from the furnace by means of a trough f, whence it flows into the moulds which pass beneath it, then through the tank d, and on over the pulleys E. As the moulds pass over these pulleys the slag is tipped out in trucks, tip wagons, or other suitable vehicles, and is further cooled by means of water sprinkled from pipe h fixed over the truck f1. To take up any wear in the chain, a worm and worm wheel are placed at jkl. These are connected by means of links MN to the spindle of the terminal e, and the attendant can at any time adjust the chain as required. This machine was originally devised for the purpose of saving the labour which is entailed in breaking up slag balls and wheeling them, by means of barrows, into hoppered barges for conveyance to sea, there to be tipped. But it is equally adaptable to cases where the slag is deposited on the ordinary slag tip or mountain. The saving of labour and of the wear and tear of plant as against the ordinary